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National Day of Prayer 2018

April 30, 2018

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The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

The theme of the 2018 National Day of Prayer is Pray for America – UNITY, based upon Ephesians 4:3, which challenges us to mobilize unified public prayer for America, Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

The following requests are from the National Day of Prayer Web site. Following these requests is a list of prayer points specifically developed to intercede for the U.S. Alliance church family.

PRAY FOR UNITY

PRAY FOR UNITY IN AMERICAMaking every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).

The present spiritual crisis in America is calling us to pray for and take all necessary actions to come together as a nation.

God is the only One who can bring unity, harmony, and oneness in America; therefore, we look only to Him in prayer.

Call upon God to empower us to make every effort to live in unity, call for unity, and forward unity in America continually.

PRAY FOR UNITY IN THE CHURCH OF AMERICANow I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction (1 Corinthians 1:10).

God is calling His church in America to unify upon the authority of the Bible and the centrality of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world.

Ask God for thousands of local churches to unify as one body of Christ, agreeing together that God is our greatest need in America.

Call upon God for Jesus’ Church in America walks in unity, harmony, and oneness, so His Church personifies, calls, and leads America to unity.

PRAY FOR UNITY IN THE FAMILIES, WORKPLACES, COMMUNITIES, AND CITIES IN AMERICAAlso, the power of God was at work in Judah to unite them to carry out the command of the king and his officials by the word of the Lord (2 Chronicles 30:12).

God’s power upon us is the only source to unite our families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America.

Call families, workplaces, communities, and cities to look to our only King, Jesus Christ, who is not only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but also the Prince of Peace who can unify us.

Pray for America’s families, workplaces, communities, and cities. It is the spiritual energy that leads to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.

PRAY FOR UNITY AMONG ALL ETHNICITIES AND PEOPLE IN AMERICAFor he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14).

Since each of us is made in the image of God, we each bear His image regardless of the color of our skin or the uniqueness of our ethnicity.

Through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, He has torn down the wall of division among all ethnicities and people.

In God alone, we unify and live in peace with one another; standing as one people against all racial and ethnic division, denouncing it as sin and not God’s will for us.

PRAY FOR UNITY THAT WE AGREE CLEARLY, UNITE VISIBLY, AND PRAY EXTRAORDINARILY FOR THE NEXT GREAT SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IN AMERICAThey all were continually united in prayer (Acts 1:14).

Preceding the epic movement of God on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Jesus’ people were continually united in prayer together.

Convict the church in America to wake up spiritually, agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America to occur in our generation.

Call upon God to bring spiritual awakening now in America shaping the future of America, just as the Great Spiritual Awakenings in our history have shaped our spiritual heritage as a nation.

PRAY FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY

Compiled by Gary Bergel, former president of Intercessors for America. Courtesy of GetAmericaPraying.com

Scripture instructs us to pray for all in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2), but how do we do that, exactly? Here are 30 ways to pray for our leaders—our judges, educators, police chiefs, school board members, military officers, elected officials, and others who serve our country by leading.

That they be God-fearing and recognize that they are accountable to Him for each decision and act (Proverbs 9:10).

That they be granted wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (James 1:5).

That they be presented with the gospel and a loving Christian witness (Romans 10:14).

That, if unsaved, they be drawn to a saving encounter with Christ; if born-again, that they be strengthened and encouraged in their faith (1 Timothy 2:4, Ephesians 1:17–23).

That they recognize their own inadequacy and pray and seek the will of God (Proverbs 3:5–8, Luke 11:9–13).

That they be convicted of sin, transgression, and iniquity (Psalm 51:17, John 8:9).

That they heed their conscience, confess their sins and repent (Proverbs 28:13, James 4:8).

That they read the Bible and attend prayer meetings and Bible studies (Psalms 119:11, Colossians 3:2).

That they value and regard the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Christ (Psalm 19:7–11, John 8:31–32).

That they respect and honor their own parents if living (Ephesians 6:2–3).

That they respect authority and practice accountability (Romans 13:1–7).

That they be given godly counsel and God-fearing advisors (Proverbs 24:6).

That they be honest and faithful to spouses and children (Malachi 2:15–16).

That they be practicing members of local congregations (Hebrews 10:25).

That they have courage to resist manipulation, pressure and the fear of man (Proverbs 29:25, 2 Timothy 1:7).

That they be shielded from occultism, New Age cults, false religions, and secret societies (Isaiah 1:29, 2:6).

That they be presented with biblical worldviews and principles (Ephesians 3:10).

That they endeavor to restore the sanctity of life, families, divine order and morality in our nation (Ephesians 5:22–6:4).

That they would work to reverse the trends of humanism in our nation (1 Chronicles 12:32, Isaiah 59:19).

That they desire humility and meekness and be willing to serve and cooperate (John 13:14, Titus 3:1–2).

That they be prepared to give an account to Almighty God (Hebrews 9:27).

PRAY FOR THE U.S. ALLIANCE

As we join together to observe the National Day of Prayer, let’s remember to pray for the U.S. Alliance family—that we would earnestly seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and empowerment to make Jesus’ love known to lost, overlooked, and hurting people in our own country and throughout the world.

Pray for The Table Church

God intends every local church to be a world-impacting congregation. This does not depend on the size of the congregation but on the size of our God.

Heart for Missions (Matthew 28:18–20)
Pray that God will give your church a heart for the nations—that the members of your church will be involved in missions by praying, giving, going, and sending.

Evangelistic Impact (Acts 2:46–47)
Pray that God will ignite an evangelistic fervor within your church and that Christians will be personal witnesses of Jesus Christ, carrying out the Great Commission.

Spirit of Unity (Psalm 133:1)
Pray that God will strengthen the bonds between believers in your church as they see Him at work in their midst.

Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)
Pray that God will make the fruit of the Spirit evident in your church Body, yielding spiritual growth.

Thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4)
Pray that God will create a spirit of thanksgiving in your church—that an attitude of gratitude will be actively demonstrated to the church staff, those who work with children and youth, volunteers, and lay leaders.

Ministries (James 1:27)
Pray that God will continue to infuse His Spirit into the ministries of your church—outreach, women’s and men’s ministries, youth and children’s programs, care for the hurting and needy, worship, and missions.

Leadership (Proverbs 9:10)
Pray that God will grant wisdom and direction to your pastor, elders, governing board, and church staff, that they will have a clear vision of God’s will for your church.

Pray for THE GREATER U.S. Alliance Church FAMILY

Local churches consist of Christians who share a belief in Jesus, His message, and His call on their lives. They care for each other as a community of believers. The Holy Spirit calls some to go as missionaries, some as church planters, and some as workers where missionaries can’t go.

A church with a vision for a lost world is close to the heart of God. And the followers of Jesus, living in community, can’t help but tell others about Him. This is part of making “disciples of all nations.” It begins with reaching out with the love of Christ to our community of neighbors and extending our reach into the world. It is through the Church that the gospel will be proclaimed in our communities and around the world.

Clear Witness (John 14:6)
Pray that our churches will maintain a clear witness to the uniqueness of Christ in the midst of religious pluralism, urbanization, postmodernism,
and relativism.

Centrality of Scripture (Psalm 119:11)
Pray that our churches will remain true to the centrality of Scripture and not be influenced by prevailing culture, philosophies, and religions.

Involved Congregations (Romans 12:4–6)
Pray that our church families will actively use their gifts for effective ministry and the building-up of the church Body.

Spiritual Depth (1 Peter 5:1–3)
Pray that church leaders will motivate their congregations to pursue a deeper life in Christ. Spiritual maturity is essential to being an effective witness for Christ.

Victorious Optimism (Romans 8:37)
Pray that Alliance believers will not be timid in response to Satan’s attacks, but that they will continue to proclaim the gospel message with boldness and passion.

Engaged Youth (Luke 18:16)
Today’s young people are often lost to the Church and turn their backs on their Christian upbringing because of a growing generation gap and the pressures of society. Pray that our youth will be evangelized afresh and will be on fire for Christ.

Missionary Vision (Matthew 24:14)
Pray for the awakening and growth of a missions heart among our churches. Pray that they will adopt an Acts 1:8 mindset in response to God’s Great Commission.

Pray for U.S. Alliance Pastors and Workers

Those who are called to shepherd God’s flock are commissioned to be servants of the Church. Through the surges and strains of church life, pastors need to know they are supported by the prayers of God’s people. Consistent intercessory prayer releases the Lord’s empowerment in the life of the pastor, strengthening and enabling him to persevere in the ministry to which God has called him.

Families
Pray that pastors will invest in their families, setting aside intentional times of meaningful interaction and recreation. Pray that God will guard and strengthen their marriages.

Prayer Life
Pray that God will give pastors an ongoing desire to pray with faith and discernment. Pray that God will provide many opportunities for pastors to enter into praying relationships with other pastors, church leaders, and laypeople.

Holy Living
Pray that pastors will pursue holiness in all aspects of life and ministry. Pray that they will not give in to temptation. Pray for purity of body and mind.

Priorities
Pray that God will give pastors wisdom as they prioritize the precious minutes in the day, discern what is most important, and guard against the tyranny of the urgent.

Confidence in the Lord
Pray that God will bind the fear of failure and the desire for approval from others. Pray that confidence in the Lord will increase through study of Scriptures.

Overcoming Stress and Conflict
Pray that criticisms and inordinate expectations will be cast aside; that stress and fatigue will be overcome; and that rumors and gossip will be dispelled.

Boldness
Pray that God will give pastors the boldness to confront sin and disunity in the church.

Focus on the Cross
Pray that pride will not enter into a pastor’s ministry. Pray that pastors will glory only in the cross.

Spirit-filled Preaching
Pray that pastors will preach God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that their sermon-preparation time will be rich and anointed.

Reproducing Fruit
Pray that God will bless pastors with lasting, reproducing fruit—that converts will become disciples who in turn disciple others.

PRAY FOR ALLIANCE DISTRICT AND ASSOCIATION LEADERS

These leaders are “pastors to the pastors,” shepherding encouraging church leaders through challenging situations and the twists and turns of church ministry.

Vision
Pray that leaders will seek and receive a clear vision from God for the churches, communities, and leaders entrusted to their care.

Discernment and Judgement
Pray that the Holy Spirit would provide wise counsel as leaders seek his ongoing infilling and empowerment.

Church Health and Growth
Pray for the development of effective, Spirit-inspired strategies that will grow healthy churches that will bear great fruit for Christ’s Kingdom.

Spiritual Vitality
Pray that district and association leaders remain spiritually vibrant and inspire churches and church leaders to live and serve with spiritual vitality.

Pastoral Counsel
Pray the district and association leaders will seek and receive continual discernment in shepherding those under their care through transition, crisis, and other adversity.

Crisis Management/Conflict Resolution
Pray for God’s guidance when disasters and crises arise that impact churches and communities or when conflicts arise within churches.

The original post appeared on The Christian & Missionary Alliance website.